Dearka's Mission
by Morkie251
Summary: CHAPTER 7 IS UP! After the war between the PLANTS and Earth, Dearka must face the consequences of his actions. He is assigned a mission that will test his true loyalties. Failure of this mission can prove to have deadly repercussions for Dearka and those he cares about most. Slight AU.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: Contains SLIGHT spoilers for Gundam Seed Destiny.  
>I do NOT own Gundam Seed or Gundam Seed Destiny. Please read and review. :) <strong>

With Yzak's help, Dearka had managed to get his nearly destroyed Buster moving towards the nearest functioning ship, which just so happened to be the Archangel.

"You know Dearka, I don't like this one bit. It just doesn't feel right. I mean the war appears to be over and everything but that doesn't make the hostilities between the Plants and Naturals go away. Do you really think they will help you now that you no longer serve a purpose helping them?" Yzak said angrily.

Dearka sighed heavily and had removed his broken helmet attempting to soak up the rather heavy blood flow that was making its way down his face with his sleeve. "It's not like I have many options at this point. You don't have to stay with me or anything. I know you have other duties to attend to." Dearka said casually.

Yzak groaned and muttered his frustrations under his breath. "Let's at least get you stitched up and make a plan from there." Yzak replied sounding somewhat exasperated. As the two machines landed in the dock of the Archangel, mechanical crews surrounded them as well as a few soldiers with guns. "Told you they wouldn't be thrilled to see us." Yzak said as he cautiously opened the Duel's cockpit.

"What exactly are your intentions?" Shouted a soldier who had his gun pointed directly at Yzak's chest.

"We don't mean to cause any trouble. My friend is injured and his machine is beyond repair. This was the closest ship to get him to. I also know for a fact that he personally helped this ship on a variety of occasions." Yzak said his hands raised in a peaceful gesture.

The solider hesitated for a moment and then one of the mechanics spoke up. "Yeah that Dearka kid did help us out. Besides, the war is over isn't it? Haven't enough people lost their lives?"

"But I don't know if I'm authorized to..." The solider started before a voice came through on the intercom about 20 feet away.

"Stand down. The war is over and they are no longer our enemies. Please see to it that Dearka gets medical attention." A woman's voice said.

"Of course Captain Ramius." The solider replied lowering his weapon and directing mechanics to help open the Buster's damaged cockpit door.

Yzak was a bit surprised that even the Captain vouched for Dearka but still watched the crew help his friend get the hatch open. "Dearka? You okay in there?" Yzak asked as they pried the door away.

"Yeah I'll be okay." Dearka responded weakly as he emerged from the cockpit, his face smeared in blood.

Everyone had stepped away as Dearka climbed down what was left of the Buster. Once on the ground, he surveyed the machine for a moment. "Well, looks like that was a close one. Guess I'm pretty lucky."

"More like you are pretty lucky I was there to save your ass Elsman!" Yzak said haughtily, walking over to him. Dearka grinned for a moment and then the grin faded, his eyes having a slightly glazed appearance. "Dearka? You alright?" Yzak asked all sarcasm disappearing and being replaced with concern. Dearka was silent and swayed on his feet and Yzak put a hand on his shoulder to steady him. "We better get you to see a doctor before you pass out on me Elsman. You know I wouldn't let you live that one down." Yzak joked. Dearka merely grinned slightly and started to walk off towards the infirmary, Yzak right behind him.

Once they arrived in the infirmary, the doctor looked up, eyebrows rising in surprise at their entrance and their pilot suits. But after seeing the blood still flowing pretty heavily from Dearka's head he motioned for him to sit down. "Looks like you need several stitches young man." The doctor said after cleaning the wound and surrounding blood from his face.

Dearka shrugged. "It's not the first time I have needed stitches." He replied and after looking at Yzak's cold and somewhat detached expression continued, "And I don't think it will be my last." Yzak rolled his eyes dramatically and stayed silent as the doctor stitched Dearka's wound shut.

When the doctor finished Dearka thanked him and applied the bandages himself. He was quite lightheaded and was relieved when Yzak didn't pester him to get up. "You know we still have to figure out what to do with you." Yzak said suddenly sitting on the small chair that the doctor had just vacated next to the bed. "I'm not sure that ZAFT officials will be too pleased with your sudden return when they realize you have been helping the Earth forces for weeks." He continued.

Dearka sighed and closed his eyes. His head was spinning and his vision was a little fuzzy and it was making him nauseous. "I understand that Yzak. It's something that has been weighing on my mind since I came to be on this ship. I made the decision to help them and if I want to return to ZAFT I will have to face the consequences of my actions." Dearka said, rubbing his eyes with clenched fists.

Yzak was taken aback. Something Dearka said stuck out to him. "What do you mean IF you want to return to ZAFT? You can't possibly be considering living on Earth with a bunch of Naturals. Come on Dearka, get real." Yzak said incredulously.

Dearka wasn't entirely sure how to respond because he didn't really know what he wanted to do. He wasn't even sure if he had a choice on whether or not to return to ZAFT and the Plants. "It's a big decision Yzak. Plus, there is a good possibility that if I do return to ZAFT I will be court marshaled and executed as a traitor." Dearka said, his eyes still closed. This caused Yzak to pause and be silent for several minutes.

"I won't let that happen." Yzak said quietly.

The soft and uncertain tone to Yzak's voice was so unlike him it caused Dearka to open one eye and look at him. "How do you think you could prevent that from happening?" Dearka questioned in a somewhat mocking tone.

Yzak glared at him. "For goodness sake Elsman! My mother is on the high council and I'm a ZAFT Red with a pretty impressive combat record. Give me some credit." Yzak snapped in response.

Dearka rolled his eyes and continued to lay still on the bed as the room spun. "Whatever you say Yzak." Dearka replied. Yzak crossed his arms across his chest and leaned his back against the chair.

"Technically you were fighting against the Alliance and Blue Cosmos. You weren't betraying ZAFT and your fellow coordinators. Your efforts helped take down ZAFT's enemies as well, despite the fact that ZAFT may not have come out on top at the end of this war. That will all be taken into account."

Dearka's eyebrows rose in surprise as he let all of what Yzak said sink in. "So you really think I could have a chance to come back to ZAFT?" Dearka finally said, hope leaking into his voice.

"Yes Elsman. As long as you don't screw up anymore or find another way to bleed to death." Yzak replied sarcastically.

Dearka smirked and chucked a bit before grimacing. His head was pounding from the blood loss and not having slept for nearly 24 hours wasn't helping. Also, he couldn't remember the last time he had anything to eat or drink. Taking in a deep breath and keeping his eyes closed he sat up slowly and swung his legs over the side of the bed pinching the bridge of his nose with his thumb and pointer finger trying to ease the discomfort. Opening his eyes he squinted at the bright fluorescent lighting and blinked several times trying to clear his blurry vision. The only thing he took comfort in was that the room had stopped spinning and the nausea has ceased. Carefully he began to get up using the edge of the bed as support.

"Where do you think you're going Elsman? Did you not just hear my comment about not doing anything stupid?" Yzak said standing up to talk to him at eye level.

"Can't a man go take a leak and then get some grub without you being on my case?" Dearka returned sarcastically. Yzak frowned back at him and put his hands up in mock surrender. After the door to the bathroom closed, Dearka did his business then braced his hands on the sink looking at himself in the mirror. There were bags under his eyes and his skin appeared pale, basically, he looked like crap and felt like it too. He turned on the water and washed his hands and face. His vision was still slightly blurry and his head continued to pound. Only the loud growling of his stomach made him come to his senses and open the door. Yzak was waiting for him and Dearka led the way to the cafeteria to get something to eat.

"I say after you eat something we go back to head quarters and get everything sorted out. Waiting won't help." Yzak said as he grabbed them two trays of food nodding to the cook who looked a little baffled but just shrugged and returned to his work.

"Yeah, I guess you're right." Dearka said almost sadly. Yzak just stared at Dearka who refused to make eye-contact and started to take small bites of his mashed potatoes.

Out of the corner of Dearka's eye he saw a couple people enter the room. "There you are Dearka!" A girl called out. Yzak stood up in surprise and turned towards the girl. Dearka had dropped his fork and simply turned in his seat to greet her.

"Oh hey." Yzak didn't have to see Dearka's face to know his friend was smiling.

"I'm glad that you are okay. I saw your machine in the hanger after I checked on Kira and Cagalli and it was completely wrecked." She explained.

"Yeah if it wasn't for Yzak here," Dearka said pointing to his friend, "I wouldn't have made it." He finished honestly.

"Is that so? Well thank you Yzak for helping Dearka. I'm Miriallia. It's nice to meet you." She said holding out her hand to Yzak.

Yzak peered at her hand in near disgust but shook it anyway. "Yeah same here." He said awkwardly letting her hand go as quickly as possible. Dearka was giving Yzak a funny look but just shook his head slowly before Miriallia could turn her attention back to Dearka.

"So what will you do now that the war is over?" She asked Dearka cautiously as if she wasn't sure she wanted to know the answer. Dearka didn't respond immediately and had glanced up at Yzak's stiff posture next to him.

"Well, I'm probably going back to headquarters and sort everything out there." He replied hesitantly.

"Oh...well, I'm sure things will work out for you. Maybe I will see you again if you are ever on Earth in the future." She said, her tone now tinged with sadness.

"Yeah...that...that would be nice." Dearka answered and Yzak got the distinct feeling that his friend wanted to say more but didn't. The girl smiled, put a hand on Dearka's shoulder and gave it a light squeeze before grabbing some food and leaving the room.

They sat in silence as they finished their meal and Yzak returned their trays. "Maybe we should find Athrun before we leave." Dearka said as they both made their way to the door.

"Where do you think he is?" Yzak asked.

"Probably on the bridge talking with everyone. Follow me." Dearka replied. As they made their way to the bridge they got a variety of strange and suspicious looks but no one stopped them.

The door to the bridge slid open and they entered quietly. Yzak saw Athrun and a brown haired kid about their age standing across the room. "We need to open peace talks between the Plants and the Earth immediately." Said Lacus Clyne whose face was on the screen in front of them.

"I agree but it appears ZAFT needs to handle its own disputes within the council first." Said the brown haired person next to Athrun. Yzak recognized the voice and realized that the guy must be the Strike's old pilot and the new pilot of the Freedom-Kira, Yzak remembered Dearka calling him when they encountered each other in the L4 Colony. Yzak clenched his fists. Dearka seemed to notice the tension in his friend and put a hand on his shoulder.

It was then that Athrun and Kira realized that Yzak and Dearka were there and walked over to them. "Glad to see that the both of you are okay." Athrun said with a grin.

"Yeah you guys too. We weren't sure what was going on out there. I heard someone say over the radio you blew up the Justice to destroy Genesis." Dearka replied.

"You couldn't help being the hero huh?" Yzak spat sarcastically and then his tone softened when he continued, "But good job."

Athrun smirked at him and then glanced at Kira who hadn't said anything. "Yzak this is my childhood friend Kira, he was the Strike's pilot and the Freedom's pilot. Kira, this is Yzak Joule, pilot of the Duel." Athrun said introducing them.

Kira stuck out his hand and Yzak tensed for a moment before shaking it. As the handshake ended, Dearka noticed the color in Yzak's face deepen and without much warning Yzak punched Kira in the face. "Bastard!" He yelled.

"Yzak!" Athrun and Dearka yelled pulling Yzak away from Kira, who was wiping his now bloody split lip with the back of his hand.

"You are the reason Athrun defected in the first place. You killed Miguel and Nicol. You gave me this scar!" Yzak shouted at Kira who was sadly looking away from the furious Duel pilot.

"It's all true and there isn't much I can tell you that will make you stop hating me. I fought in this war because I had people on this ship and in Orb that I wanted to protect. I didn't go into this war with the intention of killing anyone, but war changes people. No matter what I say nothing can change what has passed. All we can do is move forward and create a better tomorrow." Kira said finally being able to look Yzak in the face during his little speech.

Yzak was still shaking in fury but he appeared to be calming down somewhat. Athrun let him go, but Dearka wasn't satisfied with the tension he still felt in his friend's shoulders. "Yzak, you need to let it go. We have all done things in this war that keep us up at night. You can't punish Kira forever. He was fighting to protect people just like we were." Dearka said calmly.

Yzak took a deep breath and then stepped back crossing his arms. "Fine." He grunted shrugging off Dearka's grip of his shoulders.

Just like that, most of the tension broke. Dearka sighed leaning back against the side of the empty Captain's chair. "Yzak and I were going back to ZAFT headquarters Athrun. He thinks he can prevent me from being executed." Dearka said.

Athrun stared at him for a moment. "I'm...I'm not going with both of you."

Yzak and Dearka looked up at him in surprise. "After what my father has done and everything that I have done. I don't see how I wouldn't be marked as a traitor and executed." He finished sadly looking at the floor.

"That's...that's ridiculous Athrun! I'm sure that I could help you too! Just come back with us." Yzak said.

Athrun just shook his head. "I think I better cool it for a while. Maybe live in Orb. Cagalli could probably use all the help she can get restoring order there." He replied.

Yzak just shook his head. "Stubborn bastard. Well, if that's how you are gonna be I guess we can't make you change your mind. I'm sure we'll meet again someday." He said clapping Athrun on the back perhaps harder than necessary before turning towards the exit.

"Good luck Dearka. I'm sure that Yzak can figure out a way to help you." Athrun said shaking his hand.

"Thanks Athrun. Both you and Kira take care okay?" Dearka said as he slowly followed Yzak out the door.

The two ZAFT pilots made their way back down to the hangar and over to the Duel. The Buster was nowhere to be seen, and that was just as well, because it was nothing but scrap metal now. "It might not be the most comfortable way back to headquarters but it will have to do." Yzak said patting the Duel. Dearka smirked and climbed up and into the cockpit, moving aside so Yzak could get in and start the machine. No one made any attempt to stop them as they left the ship. Yzak noticed the sadness in his friend's face but clenched his teeth and said nothing.

About fifteen minutes later they arrived at headquarters. "This is Yzak Joule in the Duel from the La Crueset team. Recognition number 284006 asking permission to board." Yzak announced.

"Go ahead Duel." Came the quick response.

Yzak heard Dearka take a quick intake of breath as the Duel landed safely in the ZAFT hangar. "You ready for this?" Yzak asked his friend.

"Not really but there is no backing out now is there?" Dearka replied his head throbbing.

"Everything will be fine. Just let me do the talking." Yzak said confidently as he opened the cockpit.

Once they both emerged they could see the chaos around them unfolding. Injured and dead were being carted off in all directions. Mechanics were working to clear away machine parts, so barely anyone even glanced at them as they stood there.

Then a solider with a gun approached. "You two there! Who are you?"

"I'm Yzak Joule and this...is Dearka Elsman both with the La Creuset team. We wish to have a meeting as soon as possible with the council."

"Elsman?" The soldier said stunned. He radioed in and relayed the information to his superiors.

Soon they were directed to the locker rooms to change and two soldiers came to escort them to a meeting. Once the door slid open they saw the whole council-including Yzak's mother Ezalia was gathered. "Yzak." His mother said affectionately. "I'm glad you are safe." Yzak grinned at his mother before glancing sideways at Dearka. "So Dearka was not killed by the Earth forces." She continued walking over to study Dearka's face. "I think all of us would like to hear his side of the story before we make any kind of decision."

Dearka let go of a breath he didn't know he had been holding and stepped forward so all the council members could see and hear him properly. "After a battle between the La Creuset team and the Archangel my Buster was seriously damaged and would not move. I had no other option but to surrender at that time. I was taken on board the ship, received medical attention, and then confined to the brig. They kept me there for days but treated me…civilly. Once Orb was being attacked by the alliance the Archangel's Captain decided there was no point in keeping me on board anymore so they let me go." Dearka explained.

"Then how did you end up fighting along side that enemy ship?" Ezalia asked her eyebrows knitting together in confusion.

"Once outside the ship I wasn't sure where to go. They had taken back my Buster and Orb was being bombed. I snuck into the hanger on Onogoro Island and took back my machine. Once inside the repaired Buster I had every intention of returning to ZAFT but I didn't have a way to make that happen at that time." Dearka said. Yzak could tell that Dearka was choosing his words carefully at this point. "I knew that meant being able to board a ship and use Orb's mass driver to get back up into space. That meant I was going to have to act appropriately if I wished to do that. I shot down the Earth alliance soldiers that were attacking the Archangel and Orb in the hopes that my actions would encourage members of that ship to trust me enough to come back on board. Once the enemy retreated I made my way to the Archangel. I knew that my presence wouldn't be entirely welcomed but they didn't throw me back in the brig. I stayed on board the ship and they used the mass driver to get back into space as Orb officials blew up the mass driver facility after our departure. At this point I knew I had accomplished my goal of getting back into space but I knew that I couldn't just leave without being shot down. I knew I had to wait for a perfect opportunity to leave."

"So you continued fighting with them even if that meant fighting against ZAFT? Why didn't you just leave when the Archangel and crew were distracted in battle?" Ezalia asked looking at him suspiciously.

"It wasn't that simple once we knew that Blue Cosmos had infiltrated the Earth Alliance. Plus I knew that the Freedom wouldn't hesitate to shoot me down if I betrayed them during battle." Dearka explained. Yzak knew that Dearka was lying about Kira shooting him down but had an idea of where Dearka was going with this.

"So you came to know the Freedom's pilot when you were on board the ship?" Ezalia asked seeking clarification.

"Yes...his name is Kira Yamato. He is a coordinator that was living on Heliopolis when Yzak and I with the La Creuset team stole those four machines. He took over the Strike to defend his friends." Ezalia nodded writing down notes as he spoke. "We have all seen what Kira could do with those machines. His skills are exceptional and I had no doubt that if I did anything to compromise the safety of the Archangel and crew he would shoot me down. My goal was to stick with them until the opportunity to leave and return to ZAFT presented itself."

"Very well. Thank you for your report. However, given the circumstances you will be confined to the brig until we can fully debrief you and until we hand down your sentence." Ezalia stated coldly motioning for two soldiers to take Dearka to the brig. Dearka nodded and didn't resist, giving Yzak one more meaningful look before being taken away.

"We will now hear from Yzak Joule on the matter of Dearka Elsman's character and actions." Ezalia said formally as Yzak stepped forward taking a deep calming breath.

"I have known Dearka since before the Academy. He has always been true to his word and does the right thing and is a great soldier. However, I think he was put in an impossible situation and did what he could to survive his ordeal. He fought against the Alliance and Blue Cosmos and did not jeopardize ZAFT's missions. He managed to gain the enemies trust and with that...I think he could potentially obtain valuable information from the Earth and rebel forces in the future if the need arises. Considering his combat history and the value he adds to the ZAFT forces I think that he should not be labeled a traitor, nor should he be treated as such." Yzak said clasping his hands so tightly into fists behind his back his fingernails drew blood.

The council was silent after hearing Yzak's words and after a moment they murmured amongst themselves as to what should be done with Dearka. Yzak waited holding his breath and wondering if he had said the right things, wondering if he had done enough to try to save the life of his best friend.

Suddenly, Ezalia turned to him and said, "That will be all Yzak." He gave a curt nod to all of them and left the room slumping against a wall just outside the door.

Dearka had been led away down towards the brig and he knew it was possible he could be there a while. Surely they couldn't pass judgment too quickly. His cell was dark, much like the one on the Archangel and he sat down on the cot to wait. The quiet was unsettling but he just took a few deep breaths to calm himself. He wondered what Yzak was saying about him. Could he really prevent the Council from executing him? What would his punishment be? His mind raced over these questions. Before he knew it, if felt like hours had passed and his body was stiff from being in the same position for too long. He slowly got to his feet and stretched and grinned when he noticed the pounding of his head had finally ceased.

Dearka suddenly heard a couple of people enter the brig and make their way to his cell. A long blond haired man around his age in a red uniform unlocked the cell door and entered. He wanted to ask what was going on but the words were stuck in his throat. The other solider that came in with the blond man was regular military and approached Dearka. Something about his approach made Dearka uneasy and he took a small step back. This was useless however since there was nowhere to go and the soldier reached out and grabbed his arm very tightly and without warning plunged a syringe into his upper right arm near his shoulder. Dearka made a sound of protest and struggled a bit before the soldier pushed him down onto the bed and then left the cell. Dearka rubbed his arm where the syringe had punctured his skin and looked up at the blond man. He was sure they had never met but for some reason the blond seemed familiar.

"The injection was...to keep you compliant I suppose you could say. The Council has decided to demote instead of executing you, but you will have to go on a special mission for the new Chairman and have no choice in the matter."

Dearka sat there somewhat stunned and relieved that they had spared his life. He silently thanked Yzak for whatever he had said to convince the Council to be lenient with his punishment.

"However, the Chairman wishes me to relay a message to you before you meet with him yourself." The soldier continued.

Dearka looked up at him somewhat puzzled. Wasn't the news about the demotion and mission already the message? He soon found out however that was not necessarily the case when a fist suddenly crashed into his face. Dearka toppled over onto the floor and before he could even react to the initial assault, the man kicked him hard. He cried out painfully as he felt a rib break. "The Chairman hopes you do well to remember that he could execute you at any time, and that if you fail him, things will not turn out well for you." Dearka just nodded and grasped his side trying to drag air into his lungs. "Now get up. You have to meet with Chairman Durandal now."

Dearka dragged himself unsteadily to his feet and held out his hands so restraints can be placed on his wrists. Following the man out of the brig he realized all guards were gone, so no one had overheard any of what just happened. Dearka clenched his teeth refusing to show pain on his face as they made it to the Chairman's office. As the door slid shut behind them he saw a tall man with long black hair and golden eyes sitting behind a desk. "Ah, Thank you Rey. Please leave us now." Chairman Durandal said to the soldier. The blond saluted and quickly left the room without so much as a backward glance at Dearka.

After a moment the Chairman motioned for Dearka to come forward and stand by his desk. "I was able to intervene in your sentencing and that is lucky for you because despite the efforts of your friend Yzak, they were planning to execute you for treason. Of course as Chairman I have the last word and realized you can still serve a purpose for me and for ZAFT." Dearka stood motionless and absorbed every word like a sponge. "I have a very important mission for you Dearka. While hoping to spare your life Yzak mentioned how you had gained the trust of a variety of important individuals from the Earth forces as well as Orb. Lucky for you, that saved your life." The Chairman continued coldly. "I want you to go to Earth and situate yourself in Orb. Find out any information you can about their restructuring and also...I want you to help me find out where Lacus Clyne is hiding."

Dearka hesitated, "Lacus Clyne sir?"

"Yes, you see, I will have need of her skills just as I have need of yours." Chairman Durandal clarified. "You will make reports and send them directly to me. I will have other agents on the ground nearby to ensure you do as you are told. I cannot stress to you how important it is that you tell no one of the mission I have assigned you. Even your friend Yzak must not know."

"I understand sir." Dearka replied.

"Be sure that you do Dearka. I would have no problem teaching you a lesson by hurting those closest to you, particularly Yzak. That man has a smart mouth and his arrogance can be too much sometimes." Chairman Durandal threatened.

Dearka stood motionless, forgetting to breathe. _Isn't it bad enough he is being forced to leave all family and friends and spy on his new friends on Earth, but now he threatens Yzak?_ Dearka thought helplessly. "I understand sir. What should I tell Yzak about my absence?"

"You will tell him that you have been assigned to an undisclosed base on Earth. There will be no need to explain the specifics." Durandal said casually.

"Alright sir. When will I be departing for Earth?" Dearka asked lightly.

"Your shuttle leaves in 2 hours. Till then, I will have Rey escort you to your quarters so you can wash up. He will give you everything else you need for this mission." Durandal said dismissing him with a wave of his hand. Dearka nodded and Rey appeared in the doorway to lead him out.

**End of Chapter One**

**Let me know what you think in your review! I haven't written or published anything in about 12 years, so I might be a bit rusty. Haha. **


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: I do NOT own Gundam Seed or Gundam Seed Destiny. Please be a responsible reader and review. Thanks! **

Dearka and Rey passed through the hallways silently and no one seemed to give them a second look, despite the restraints still on Dearka's wrists. Upon entering an unused room, Rey removed his restraints and pointed to a packet of information on the table. "That is what you will need to start your mission in Orb. Ensure that you are the only one who reads the information. I will send someone to bring you new clothes. You are not to leave this room." Rey said emotionlessly, as if reading from a drilling manual. Dearka just nodded wordlessly as Rey left. Ignoring the information on the desk, he entered the bathroom and took a hot shower, wincing as the forceful spray hit his already badly bruising ribcage and face. He exited the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist and used another to dry his shaggy hair and then combed it back with his fingers. Suddenly there was an alert at the door and he opened it thinking it was the person delivering his clothes only to realize that it was Yzak.

"What the heck happened to you Dearka?" Yzak said taking in his bruised face and ribcage.

"It's nothing. Don't worry about it. Just get in here." Dearka said sticking his head out the door and ensuring no one was around before it slid closed behind them.

"What do you mean don't worry about it? It sure as hell isn't 'nothing' either." Yzak said angrily as Dearka looked away. "When you left the Council, you had a cut and bump on your head and now you look like you got the crap kicked out of you!" Dearka still refused to answer and went back into the bathroom to pull on his boxers.

"I have been hurt much worse than this Yzak, just let it go." Dearka replied coming back into the room.

Dearka's flippant comment just seemed to make Yzak more furious. He stomped over to Dearka and grabbed his upper arms tightly, which made Dearka wince. Seeing his discomfort Yzak swallowed his rant and let him go. Dearka looked at his arm and saw a red mark from where the needle broke through his skin. Touching it lightly with his fingertip he realized it was a welt and that it was hot. _What did they inject me with? _Dearka thought curiously.

Before Yzak could say anything else, Dearka's clothes were delivered. They stood silently for a moment and then Yzak spoke up, "You need to go to the infirmary."

"I'm fine Yzak. Besides, I am being transferred soon. I'll just get help there." Dearka said pulling on a pair of pants.

"Transferred? To where? I mean I know that they said you were being demoted which is obviously a hell of a lot better than dying but still!" Yzak countered.

"Transferred to some base on Earth. I won't even know until I get there. They didn't tell me much." Dearka said struggling with his shirt.

"Oh…I've been stationed to command a team based out of Aprilius, that is helping with reconstruction and security." Yzak said quietly, frowning as Dearka finally managed to pull the shirt over his head and down his chest with a grimace. Yzak shook his head. "I'm getting you some medical attention." As Yzak started moving towards the door Dearka reached out to him.

"Wait! It's fine Yzak. Just talk with me. I…I don't know when I will be back in the PLANTS." Dearka managed to say through gritted teeth. His ribs felt like they were on fire and it even hurt to breathe.

"Oh don't get all mushy on me Elsman. And I'm at least sending for some bandages. From the bruising it looks like at least a couple ribs are broken." Yzak said using the com link to contact the infirmary. When the bandages arrived Yzak motioned for Dearka to sit on the bed. "Now don't give me a hard time dammit." Yzak spat.

Dearka just glowered at him and bent his arms back to pull the shirt over his head as the pain continued to stab through his side and into his upper chest. Getting impatient Yzak helped his friend tug the shirt off. "You just wanna see me with my shirt off again." Dearka joked chuckling lightly before biting back a groan of pain.

"Shut it Elsman before you find yourself with another broken rib!" Yzak said with a scowl. Dearka rolled his eyes and sat up straighter so Yzak could wrap the binding around his ribs.

"I'm not an invalid you know." Dearka muttered as Yzak continued wrapping.

"Says the guy who had trouble getting his shirt on and off." Yzak retorted. Dearka just shook his head in defeat and watched as Yzak finished wrapping up the injury. "There, now think you can take it easy till you heal up? It shouldn't take too long. That's one of the good things about being a coordinator." Yzak said standing up.

"Yeah yeah. Although, it depends on what I have to do once I get to Earth. I might not have a choice." Dearka said lying down on his back and trying to find a comfortable position.

"I wonder why they haven't told you much yet. Seems a little strange right?" Yzak asked.

"Yeah probably because it will be some crappy job that no one wanted and that they feel I wouldn't be too happy about." Dearka said casually remembering Durandal's threat about what happens if he speaks of his mission.

"Maybe." Yzak answered sounding unconvinced. "I'm sure you will find out more when you land. Just…keep in touch okay?" Yzak's tone was very soft and unlike him. Dearka glanced up at him and he looked away with a slight reddish tint on his face.

"Now who is getting mushy?" Dearka replied sarcastically.

"Shut it Elsman!" Yzak said stomping over to the door and pausing for a moment as if waiting for Dearka to say something.

"Hopefully we will talk soon. Take care of yourself Yzak, and thanks."

"Yeah…you too Dearka." Yzak said sadly as he left the room.

Dearka dragged his forearm across his eyes and tried to clear his mind, but after Yzak had left it was too quiet. He laid there for a few more moments and then decided to get up and check out the information Rey had pointed to earlier. It was quite a thick packet, or perhaps manual is a better description, it was bound together on the left side like a spiral notebook. Opening it, he read the first page. It gave him detailed instructions on what to do when he arrived in Orb, how to contact the PLANTS and report in, and it even had account information at a Orb bank so he could have his expenses covered. Flipping through it further, it gave him the address of where he would be staying and examples of how he should spend his days. Reports were to be given every two days. Finding out the location of Lacus Clyne appeared to be top priority.

Immediately, Dearka started thinking of why Lacus Clyne would be so important to the Chairman. He knew her power to influence was great, and her ability to calm down people in crisis was exceptional, perhaps he wants to have her here to help in the aftermath of the war? All these thoughts kept spinning through Dearka's head and as he looked at the clock on the wall he realized he needed to get to the hanger to catch the shuttle soon. He stood up, pulled on a shirt, and gathered what few items he had. He was wondering if he would be permitted to leave when the door suddenly opened and Rey appeared. "Ah, I see you are ready to go, excellent. Follow me."

They made their way down to the hangar and when they arrived Rey said, "Remember what the Chairman said. Complete your mission and tell no one of your intentions. Yzak is the one that will also pay for your failure." Dearka nodded grimly and boarded the shuttle. As soon as he was in his seat and his belongings were secured, the shuttle took off and he tilted his head against the window and fell asleep.

The only thing that woke him was the gentle bump as the shuttle landed on Earth. His body, still obviously injured and exhausted, could already feel the difference in gravity. As the shuttle came to a stop he waited for the flight crew to open the doors before gathering his stuff and exiting with the other passengers. Following the directions of his manual he made his way to the appropriate place to check in, pick up some supplies, and receive a vehicle to use while on Earth. He then made his way to his one bedroom apartment and when he walked through the door with his meager belongings was pleasantly surprised to see how nicely but simply furnished it was. It reminded him of his room back in the PLANTS. He set everything down gratefully on the kitchen counter and took a walk around. He found that the refrigerator was well stocked and the bed was comfortable. His computer was properly connected back to the PLANTS so he could check in every two days, and even his closet contained enough clothes for what looked like two weeks. _Well, they seem to have thought of everything. How were they able to put this together so quickly? _Dearka wondered to himself as he opened up the medicine cabinet in the bathroom to see his toiletries. Searching the bathroom more thoroughly he was unable to find any painkillers however and he groaned lightly. Soon after he brushed his teeth, pulled off his shirt and pants and climbed into bed, exhaustion pulling him into sleep in minutes.

**End of Chapter 2 **

**So how was it? Please don't hate me for the shortness of this chapter. Haha. I have to get everything set up before we can get to the good stuff! I hope you all liked the banter between Yzak and Dearka. See you in chapter 3! PLEASE REVIEW. :) **


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: I do NOT own Gundam Seed or Gundam Seed destiny (unfortunately). Please read and review! **

Dearka awoke the next morning to a burning and tingling sensation that was making his way down his arm. Sitting up with much difficulty he tried to rub the sensation away, but it did not cease. Frowning he went into the bathroom and then headed to the kitchen for something to eat. His body felt achy and he had a sense that something wasn't quite right. _Maybe I should head to the pharmacy_, Dearka thought. After eating he got dressed and headed out on foot to a pharmacy a couple blocks away that he had passed the day before.

As he walked down the busy sidewalk he paid closer attention to his surroundings. Despite the battles that had been fought in Orb, the inner city on the main island appeared to be relatively unaffected. There were many restaurants, small cafes, clothing stores, electronics shops, and even bookstores. He really was in a busy part of town. _This must have been to help me blend in_. Dearka thought. As he entered the pharmacy he saw that there was a clinic with a doctor on call. Dearka remembered Yzak pestering him about seeking medical attention and how he had promised him he would when he landed on Earth. He headed to the clinic and signed in, sitting down to wait for the doctor.

"Dearka?" A man said looking down at the sign in sheet. "Come on back." Dearka followed the doctor and they sat down in the exam room. "So what seems to be ailing you?" He asked adjusting his glasses.

In answer Dearka removed his shirt with a grimace and began unwrapping the binding Yzak had helped him with. Once it was removed, the doctor looked at his ribs and said, "This appears to be a pretty serious injury, and a day or two old. Why didn't you seek medical help immediately?"

"My friend said the same thing." Dearka asked evading his question.

"Alright well, the only thing I can do for you is to prescribe some pain medication and bed rest." The doctor responded sending the electronic prescription to the pharmacist. Dearka nodded and winced as he rewrapped the binding. "I would also keep your ribs bound like that for a few weeks." He said as Dearka thanked him and went to pick up his prescription. After arriving back at his apartment he took some pills and sat on the edge of the couch. _What am I gonna do now?_ Dearka thought.

After a while of thinking in the silence he turned on his computer to make a report and then decided to take his car out and explore the city more thoroughly. He drove around for a while observing the people and places around him before heading out along the coast. As he parked Dearka looked out across the ocean and absentmindedly tried to rub the burning sensation in his arm away. There were still pieces of mobile suits from previous battles scattered across the shallower waters. Dearka looked upon them sadly for quite some time before hearing something approaching and scanned the shoreline. From his position he could see the harbor and the Earth Forces shuttle that was just landing.

Dearka immediately thought of the crew of the Archangel-in particular Miriallia, who had admitted to him that Orb was her homeland. He wondered if he would really ever see her again. He leaned heavily against his car and watched as the shuttle emptied. Dearka knew that he had to somehow find a way to get close to Cagalli and understand what is going on within Orb now that the war is over. He also knew that Durandal would not be pleased if he did not make any progress on his mission.

He checked his GPS and after quite a bit of thought, he took a deep breath, winced, and then drove away from the coast. Pulling up to a heavily guarded gate he rolled down his window to speak to one of the guards who was looking at him suspiciously. "What is your business here?" The guard said.

"I'd like to arrange a meeting with Representative Athha at her earliest convenience." Dearka said sounding more confident than he felt.

"Who are you to request a meeting with our Princess?" The guard questioned, his eyebrows raised.

"My name is Dearka Elsman. I was part of the forces helping to protect Orb in the last battle here. She knows me personally. Could you pass along my name and my request to her?" Dearka asked politely.

The guard stared at him for a moment and then went back to his station to radio in. A few minutes later the guard walked back up to the car. "Alright, the Princess is just getting out of a meeting she says you can wait inside. Someone will be waiting for you at the front entrance to escort you to her." Dearka nodded and drove past the gate. His face didn't show it but he was quite relieved. This was a pretty ballsy move on his part, and if he wasn't careful, his mission could be compromised.

He parked in a small-designated area and went up to the massive estate's entrance. A strict looking middle-aged woman in a maroon colored suit was there to meet him and motioned him to follow her inside. She requested that he wait in a nicely decorated sitting area just inside the front doors, which allowed him to see the entire foyer and marble staircase leading to the upper floors of the home. After about 10 minutes, he heard Cagalli talking with someone who he guessed was part of the Orb Council.

"I understand that things are chaotic around here and there has been evidence of Blue Cosmos being active around the city but we must not cause panic and rioting by acting too quickly or too harshly." Cagalli said as she came into view.

Upon seeing him, Cagalli smiled and walked over and he gave her a slight but somewhat awkward bow. She chuckled lightly at this. "Dearka there is no need for such strict formalities here. Why don't we go into the study?" She swept her arm to the side motioning him to follow her. As they entered the study, Dearka saw the walls were lined with books and a couple of family photographs. A large mahogany desk sat facing the doors in front of the massive window, which overlooked the estate's impressive yard and gardens.

"I must say Dearka, I'm surprised to see you. Athrun and Kira told me that you had gone back to the PLANTS. I'm interested to hear why exactly you are here."

Dearka nodded and paused before responding. "I realize it might be a bit strange that I just showed up here. When Yzak and I returned to the PLANTS it was pretty obvious that the Council was not very happy with my actions during the war. Yzak urged me to leave and come to Earth and start over before serious action could be taken against me."

"So Yzak wasn't able to convince the Council that your actions were not treasonous?"

"Yzak spoke on my behalf, but apparently I had done too much to be forgiven according to the Council." Dearka said thinking that what he was saying was true. The only things he knew that saved his life for sure were the Chairman and this mission.

Cagalli just nodded mutely. The silence stretched on and Dearka shifted uncomfortably in the leather chair beneath him. "I'm glad that you were able to leave the PLANTS relatively safely." Cagalli said hesitating when her gaze lingered on his still bruised face. "Is there anything I can do?" She asked.

"I know that this may be asking a lot, but I was hoping for a job. I really need to start my life over." Dearka said managing to divert his gaze as if he was embarrassed to be asking.

"Well, Orb is definitely going to need all the help it can get. I have heard reports that Blue Cosmos is active in the city. Plus, we need to organize the reconstruction of the mass driver facility on Onogoro Island. I'm sure there is something that you can help with." Cagalli said, a sad smile marking her face.

"I truly appreciate your help. I understand that this might put you in an awkward position." Dearka said softly.

"You let me worry about all of that. The good thing about being a leader of a country, is that you can make these types of decisions." Cagalli said standing up.

Dearka thanked her and once giving her his contact information he left. He grabbed some dinner at a local restaurant, headed back to his apartment, and collapsed on his bed, quickly falling asleep.

When Dearka woke up the next day, he realized it was almost noon. Despite all of the sleep he was able to get, his body still felt tired, but the burning sensation in his arm was gone and his ribs weren't hurting as much. He took a hot shower and then checked his messages. There was one from Cagalli that informed him he would be on her security detail until another job came up. He decided it would be best to send a report to the Chairman regarding this latest information. Once he sent the report off, he ate some lunch and as he was about to leave to meet Cagalli when he heard an alert come from his computer. Walking over he realized a video call was coming in from the Chairman. Nervously, he accepted the call and the Chairman's face filled his screen, his golden eyes narrowed angrily.

"I see that you have gotten a job as part of the Orb leader's security detail. I must say, this is a huge risk. You realize if you should happen to let slip the nature of your mission everything could be ruined right?"

Dearka felt his face drain of color and he collapsed into his chair. "I understand sir."

"Be sure that you do. You may be on Earth but there are ways you can be punished as well. You already know of the threat to Yzak's safety and life if you should fail. However, I made sure that there is something else to keep you compliant and on track." The Chairman said coldly. Dearka could hear Durandal typing and then after a moment a white-hot pain shot through his skull. He pressed his hands to his temples and tried not to groan in pain. The Chairman typed a bit more and then the pain suddenly stopped.

"What did you do to me?" Dearka asked after catching his breath.

"I gave orders to inject you with a transmitter my team of scientists and I created that allows me to affect your body's pain receptors. I can control the transmitter at any time for any length of time. It can affect any part of your body that I choose and also serves as a tracking device. I wouldn't suggest trying to run away or I will know." The Chairman explained with a glint of malice in his eyes. Dearka nodded grimly before the call ended and the computer screen went black once again.

Dearka sat in the office chair numbly staring at the blank screen for several minutes. To him, the stakes already seemed plenty high before this new information was dropped on him. _I better not fail him. _Dearka thought to himself as he left for Cagalli's estate to be briefed on his schedule and assignments for the day.

**End of Chapter 3**

**Author's Note: The plot thickens! Lots more twists and turns ahead, so it just gets better from here! ****Please**** let me know your thoughts on this story! Someone had mentioned in a review that the story is AU. It is, I decided to have Durandal in power right away-he makes a great bad guy! He is also quite cunning and highly connected within ZAFT and of course, his ability to manipulate knows no bounds. It is also AU because Dearka's mission and much of the plot in this story never actually happened. Haha. I do have an explanation of why Eileen Canaver isn't in power and also why Rey is in the story when we were lead to believe he was in the Academy still. You will all just have to wait and see! :D **


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: I do NOT own Gundam Seed or Gundam Seed Destiny. Please read and review!**

Dearka slid onto the dark leather seat of his car and leaned his head back, sighing heavily. There was still a residual throb of pain coursing through his head from the effects of the Chairman's transmitter and he reached over to open up his glove box and take out the painkillers from the pharmacy. After dry swallowing a few pills, he pulled out of the parking garage and went to meet with Cagalli.

Once he arrived, Dearka was asked to wait in the same sitting room he had the day before. He fidgeted slightly as he waited for the Representative. "Unato, I understand your concerns but we have no other choice at the moment. I will not make a final decision at this time. Please keep them detained until their questioning." He heard Cagalli saying. She came into his line of sight a moment later talking with an older Cabinet member with glasses. "I will meet with you and others later to discuss this matter." Cagalli said gently. Unato bowed slightly before walking away. Cagalli then turned towards the sitting room. "Sorry to keep you waiting Dearka. Please follow me." Cagalli said as she made her way towards her study. Dearka followed her silently and once inside, she asked him to shut the door behind him.

"I wanted to thank you for giving me this opportunity." Dearka said as Cagalli took a seat behind her desk.

"It's no problem. To be honest, it makes me feel better knowing you will be here to protect me as well as the ideals of Orb. There are people out there that don't believe in the traditions of Orb after what happened with the war. I could truly use your support."

"I can understand the tough position you are in with the aftermath of the war. I am inspired by Orb's position of neutrality in this era. It is a difficult choice to make with the pressures of countries outside of this one. I am happy to be here to support and protect you and your country's ideals." Dearka said and was surprised by how much he actually believed what he was saying.

"Thank you Dearka." Cagalli said as she picked up a file that was on her desk and handed it to him. "Here is what you will need to look over. It contains information on your schedule for the week. I would like you to start today if that's alright." Dearka took the file and nodded his assent. "Also, since you are on my security detail, you will have to be on call at all times and will have to move into my estate. Will this be a problem?"

Dearka hesitated a moment thinking of his apartment set up by the Chairman. "No, that should be fine." He replied.

"Great! Well, as your folder of information indicates, I am meeting with Cabinet members shortly to discuss a very urgent matter that has just come to my attention as of this morning. Apparently, three members of Blue Cosmos were apprehended near the harbor on Onogoro Island."

"Do you know what their intentions were?" Dearka asked.

"My sources have indicated that they were trying to somehow disrupt the reconstruction of the mass driver." Cagalli said standing up and walking to the door. "We have to interrogate them to see if we can get information from them, although I am sure they won't just open up to us regarding their plans."

"I agree. Blue Cosmos will not willingly give up that information. Despite the death of their leader Muruta Azrael during the last war, I'm sure they have already had someone replace him. Blue Cosmos is still a very real threat and they have demonstrated their power with those machines as well as their nuclear capabilities. I have a feeling they may be able to construct or at least obtain new machines and have new pilots on their side if the need arises." Dearka said thoughtfully.

"Yes. There is no doubt in my mind that Blue Cosmos remains a threat to all of those who show no ill will towards Coordinators. I suppose, in a way, Orb is quite a big target with our neutral position and our hopes of peace between the PLANTS and us. My only hope is that we can maintain our neutrality and stop Blue Cosmos and anyone else that is responsible for trying to disrupt the peace talks."

"I'm sure you and the Cabinet will be able to work towards those goals and rid Orb of Blue Cosmos." Dearka replied as they both left her study for the meeting that was being held in the boardroom upstairs.

"I would like for you to be in the meetings with me. I feel like I could use your insight afterwards." Cagalli said as she approached the door.

"Of course." Dearka said, thinking how this was a stroke of luck that would allow him to understand in greater depth what her plans were to rebuild Orb. The Chairman would be pleased, but overall, it made Dearka feel slightly guilty knowing he would be relaying all information back to the PLANTS.

As the door to the boardroom opened, the Cabinet members rose from their seats and bowed to Representative Athha. Cagalli nodded in acknowledgement and then motioned for Dearka to step forward. "Cabinet members, I would like to introduce Dearka Elsman. He has just been appointed to my security detail." The Cabinet members seemed surprised and some were frowning in confusion or possible displeasure. Dearka bowed to them and went to stand at the wall near Cagalli's seat at the head of the table.

"Representative, I do not recall appointing Mr. Elsman to your security detail." Unato said coldly.

"I understand that Unato. I made this decision on my own."

"I feel that given the present state of affairs we are in, and as the former Prime Minister to Orb, and as a present member of this Cabinet, I should screen all applicants before they are appointed as part of your security detail. You are the future of our beautiful nation, Princess. I would hate to see you harmed, or worse, even killed because of potentially incompetent body guards." Unato said firmly not even bothering to glance at Dearka.

Other Cabinet members seemed surprised by this defiant declaration and were silent as Cagalli gave him a stern look. "I made this decision as Chief Representative. He is someone I trust and know personally, so I can assure you his skills are more than sufficient. However, I must say that I will not explain my decisions to you regarding similar matters in the future." Cagalli said meeting his somewhat offended gaze. "Now, can someone fill me in regarding the situation on Onogoro." The Cabinet member nearest to Cagalli slid papers over to her and she took them and scanned their contents.

"It appears they were scouting the location. Upon further investigation of the area, we were able to find several incendiary objects. We gave the order to evacuate the area, and our bomb squad was able to successfully disarm them and search the harbor to ensure there were no more of devices." The same man said.

"Very good. Give the order to start the interrogation of the three members we have in custody. I would like to get as much information as possible in order to assess if there will be another attempt, as well as to ascertain if there are other Blue Cosmos members within Orb." Cagalli said looking around the room at all of them.

"We understand Representative. However, what should we do if they refuse to cooperate? Would you authorize the use of…more persuasive tactics to gain information?" A Cabinet member with black hair and dark eyes sitting at the opposite end of the table asked. There was a collective intake of breath in the resounding silence that followed his questions. All eyes were on Cagalli as she lowered her head, staring hesitantly at the table.

"I would normally never condone harsh interrogation methods on prisoners, however, I feel that in this situation, not finding out more information could cost many Orb citizens their lives if Blue Cosmos is secretly bringing bombs into the city." Cagalli said finally raising her head and meeting the eyes of the Cabinet member who asked her those tough questions. The Cabinet was silent, as if they hadn't expected her to say that. "Now how goes the reconstruction on Onogoro and along the main island's coastal regions?" Cagalli asked clearing her throat and speaking more firmly. "I want to ensure that construction crews are diligently working to restore the damaged regions so that all of Orb gets back to normal as soon as possible. Citizens need to see that we are prepared to get on top of things around here."

"Of course Representative. Efforts are being made to complete all construction projects within the next three months." Said Unato.

"Great. I want to be updated on all progress being made until everything is completed. Ensure that the public knows of our plans and where they can go for shelter and resources in the meantime." Cagalli replied. "Now, if there are no other pressing matters, I think we can conclude the meeting for today." Everyone got to their feet and bowed once more to Cagalli before she left the room with Dearka following behind her.

As they both entered her study a few minutes later, Dearka shut the door behind them. Cagalli sunk into her chair with a loud sigh. "I'm sorry about what Unato said. His views of the decisions I make without his advice are usually questioned."

"It's no problem. I understand."

Cagalli smiled at him and it faded when she said, "Do you think that I did the right thing by approving potentially harsh interrogation techniques against the detained Blue Cosmos members?"

Dearka was somewhat surprised by her question, and wondered why his opinion of her decision would matter to her. As he looked at her, he saw her somewhat scared and unsure expression. He then took a moment to assess her situation. She was only 17, and after the loss of her father and uncle, she was expected to run an entire country. The Cabinet probably viewed her as somewhat naïve and definitely inexperienced. He could understand why she looked to others for approval and support of her decisions. "As Chief Representative, you are going to have to make hard decisions like the ones you just made. Unato is right; you are the future of this country. Things are difficult now, in the aftermath of a terrible war, and you have to do what you think is best for all of Orb, in order to restore order and peace here." Dearka said honestly, taking in her reaction to his words. Her face had lost some of its tension and she looked down at her desk.

"That seems like something Kira or Athrun would say to me." She said quietly and Dearka could see a small smile gracing her features even from where he stood. They were silent for a moment and the room slowly started to darken as the sun went down. She reached over and clicked on a small lamp on the corner of her desk and the light lit up her face in a golden color due to its stained glass lampshade. "If you want, you could head back to where you are staying and gather your things. When you return, I will have Myrna show you to your room." Dearka nodded and made his way to the door. "Oh and Dearka?" Cagalli called out and Dearka turned to look at her. "Thanks." She said as he smiled and left to head back to his apartment and pack.

When he arrived, there was a small thin package lying outside his apartment door. Frowning, he picked it up and went inside. He pulled out a brief note and read it: _I have a feeling that_ _you will need this in order to continue making reports on a consistent basis. Make sure to put a lock on the OS so no one else can use it but you. _With the note, there was a touch screen tablet with full-connected capability to the PLANTS. Dearka sighed heavily and sat down to make his latest report given everything that he learned today. He informed the Chairman of Blue Cosmos' activities within Orb, the construction projects, as well as his new required living arrangements. He then scanned and uploaded the documents Cagalli had given him that contained his schedule for the week as well, and added them to the report's file.

After sending everything to the Chairman, guilt swept over him in waves. He felt bad for giving away this information to the PLANTS, but after all, his mission was to spy on Orb, and obtain information like this as well as Lacus' location. If he didn't do this, Dearka feared for Yzak's safety, as well as his own life. He had already experienced at least some of the power that Durandal possessed and knew his threats were very much real. Dearka couldn't help but wonder however, just what the Chairman was planning on doing with all the information he was gathering on this mission. Did Durandal really have the intention of creating an alliance with Orb as well as the Earth Alliance? What could Lacus really do for the Chairman that could make much difference at this point in time? As he ruminated over all questions and tried to bury his guilt, his head once again began throbbing. He sighed and went to take a shower, hoping the steam would take away his headache and figuratively wash away his doubts.

As he dressed, his stomach rumbled and he groaned tiredly. Putting on his shoes he left the apartment and went for a quick bite to eat at a small restaurant named Takami's Grill around the corner. Despite the fact that it was relatively early, the restaurant was packed with people. He went up to the counter to get a menu to look at while he waited. Before long however, he heard a familiar voice and his head jerked up in shock. His eyes scanned the surrounding crowd and his eyes fell upon one person he both wanted, and also did not want to see…Miriallia.

**End of Chapter 4**

**A/N: Please take a moment to review! It would mean a lot to me. Thanks! **


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: I do NOT own Gundam Seed or Gundam Seed Destiny. Also, I took some liberties with Dearka's background in this chapter. Not much is actually known about his family to my knowledge. Just thought I would give a heads up. Please review!**

Dearka felt a wave of nervousness wash over him. What was he going to do? What was he going to say? Would he be able to lie to her? Should he leave before she notices him? He was frozen to the spot while he thought his options over. Just as he put the menu back and was starting to make his way through the crowd towards the door, he heard a gasp. "Dearka? Is that you?" He froze and swallowed turning towards her, his heart already starting to pound.

"Miriallia?" Dearka said trying to act surprised, like he hadn't seen her.

"I can't believe you are here in Orb." Miriallia said with a toothy smile not even trying to hide her surprise and perhaps, Dearka observed, her excitement?

"Yeah I just got here basically." Dearka managed to say.

"Wow! I guess it was pretty miraculous that I ran into you then huh?"

"Yeah…I guess it was." Dearka said, managing to grin back at her.

"Listen, if you aren't busy, why don't we get out of here? It's too crowded and we can go somewhere else." She suggested. Dearka tried not to show his surprise and slight panic. He wasn't expecting to run into her any time soon, or ever really. This made him start to question how he was going to lie sufficiently. He knew she was curious and if she asked too many questions, he wasn't sure what he was going to say. Dearka took a deep breath and nodded, heading out the door and onto the much less crowded sidewalk, his hands shoved deep into his pockets. "So why don't we go to this little diner not too far from here? I used to go there all the time before I was on the Archangel." Miriallia said looking up into his face.

"Sure." He said, as they walked down the sidewalk, their arms almost touching. The night air was cooling slightly and out of the corner of his eye he saw Miriallia shiver slightly. He was just about to give her his jacket when they arrived at the diner and went inside. After taking a seat in an overstuffed cushioned booth by the window, their waitress came up to them and took their drink orders before walking away, looking dead on her feet.

"So when did you actually get here? I thought you were going back to the PLANTS? Did something go wrong?" Miriallia asked curiously resting her chin on her propped up palm.

Dearka hesitated a moment before answering, "I got here the day before yesterday. Yzak tried his best to help convince the Council that my actions during the war were not treasonous, but in the end it appeared like their decision was not in my favor. That is when Yzak suggested that I head to Earth, to Orb, to let things cool off and potentially start a new life here."

Miriallia looked at him as if she was unsure of what to say next. "I'm sorry to hear the Council wasn't seeing reason. Yzak was probably giving you the best advice he could. I'm just glad you were able to make it here safely." Dearka smiled at her and realized that she believed his story, and while there was some truth to it, he knew that half was a lie. The idea of starting his life over here in Orb however, did appeal to him. Perhaps if he didn't have this mission, he could have done just that.

"So…what about your family? Were they up to date about everything that was going on with you?"

The smile quickly slid off of his face. "My mother passed away when I was 10, car accident. My father left the Supreme Council just before the war ended, according to Yzak. I'm not sure how much he knows or even where he is right now. I don't have any siblings."

Miriallia looked somewhat taken aback. The expression on her face was complicated and Dearka wished that he could see inside her head to what she was thinking. "I'm sorry to hear about your mother. I'm sure that there is a way Yzak can find your father and pass along information regarding you to him." She said optimistically.

"Yeah…maybe." Dearka replied sadly, knowing that would not happen, considering Yzak didn't even know where Dearka was. "So what about your family? What are you going to do now that you are back here in Orb?"

Miriallia took a deep breath and took a sip of her lemonade that was just delivered to the table and they both placed their orders before she answered, "My parents are happy that I am home. They were obviously really worried about me volunteering on the Archangel. I think what comforted them was the fact that I wasn't alone on the ship, I was with friends, and that Kira and Mu were able to defend the ship. As far as my plans now, I really wanted to pursue photography as a career. It has always been a passion of mine. I actually have a connection at a local news station, so I can probably start work very soon. What are your plans?"

"That's great. I'm sure that you will be successful in photography. I actually got a job on Cagalli's security detail for now." Dearka said, not really seeing how telling her that would hurt.

"Oh okay, that seems like you can do a lot of good there." She said as the blond waitress came back with their burgers. They ate in comfortable silence for several minutes.

"So did anyone from the Archangel come back to Orb with you?" Dearka asked casually, hoping this line of questioning would eventually lead to information about the whereabouts of Lacus Clyne.

"Well, Sai came back on the shuttle with me, and Kuzzey had left the Archangel during the late stages of the war when we were docked here. Kira and Lacus decided last minute to stay in space for a while to attend the peace talks with ZAFT." Miriallia divulged.

Dearka took in the information and munched on his burger, which he was happy that was grilled perfectly. "Sounds like you have at least a couple friends in town that know what you experienced on the Archangel. Not many people would understand. I just hope that the peace talks go smoothly." Dearka said, wiping the edge of his mouth with a napkin, and tucked the information about Lacus and Kira to the back of his mind for later.

Miriallia nodded sadly. Dearka knew that she went through a lot during her time on the Archangel, and his stomach dropped when he realized that she must have been thinking of the loss of her boyfriend Tolle. The silence between them stretched on and Dearka shifted somewhat nervously. _What should he say or do to comfort her?_ He thought to himself. Tears were gathering in her eyes as she absentmindedly twirled her straw around her half full glass of pink lemonade. "I know it's not my place to say anything, but when I would lose someone, I would do something that we used to do together. My friend Nicol died in the war and he was an amazing pianist. Yzak never knew this, but during my time off I would sometimes hang out with Nicol so he could teach me how to play piano. When he died, I would play the songs he taught me and it made me feel like he was right here next to me." Dearka explained softly reaching out across the table to gently squeeze her hand. She looked up at him in surprise as tears overflowed and poured down her face. Embarrassed, she quickly wiped them away with the back of her hand and gave him a watery smile. Dearka never had admitted that to anyone, and anyone who knew Dearka would laugh if they knew this information, considering how sarcastic and sometimes hurtful Dearka acted towards Nicol especially in Yzak's presence.

"Thanks for telling me that Dearka. I know that you understand loss too. War is a terrible thing. I really do hope that relations between the PLANTS and Earth will be civil in the future despite the loss of so many lives." Miriallia managed to say after clearing her throat. Dearka nodded as their bill was placed on the table and their empty plates taken away. He paid for them both waving off her attempts to at least split the cost of their meals. Miriallia slid out of the booth and Dearka followed her out of the well-lit diner. They both stood uncertainly near the corner of the street before Miriallia spoke, "Thanks for dinner Dearka. Maybe we will run into each other again sometime soon?" She said somewhat hopefully, evidence of tears still on her face.

"Yeah, I suppose it's possible." Dearka said softly as she pulled something from her purse. This made him wonder what would really happen on his mission here in Orb. Would he ever be able to return to the PLANTS and see his father and Yzak again?

Then Miriallia snapped Dearka out of his train of thought. "Here, let me give you my number so if you have some free time we can grab coffee or dinner or…whatever." She said in a rush, writing down her phone number on a slip of paper and handed it to him. Dearka looked down at it and grinned sticking it into his pocket.

"Sounds good Miriallia. You…take care of yourself till I see you again alright?" He said hesitantly. She nodded and stepped towards him and wrapped her arms around his chest. He was stunned and stood there his arms hovering just above her back. When the hug didn't end he thought, _ah what the hell, _and hugged her back. Her embraced tightened and he held his breath, his still injured ribs protesting. They stood like that for several moments as he ignored the pain and rested his face lightly on the top of her head inhaling her scent. Then, as if jolted out of a stupor, she leaned back out of his embrace and blushed furiously.

"You too Dearka. See ya." She mumbled, unable to meet his gaze before walking away from him in the opposite direction of his apartment.

It took a few seconds after Miriallia left for Dearka to realize that he himself was also blushing. _Don't be stupid Dearka. She would never be with you. Plus, with your mission, there is absolutely no time to be in a relationship. _He thought to himself, his shoulders slumping dejectedly as he made his way the few blocks back to his apartment. Making a quick report about the information regarding the whereabouts of Lacus Clyne and Kira, he got into bed. In the morning he would start living at the Athha estate at the bequest of Cagalli. Hopefully, things would work out and he wouldn't have to make any tough decisions in order to satisfy the Chairman and complete his mission, but somehow he had a bad feeling that this mission wasn't going to be that easy.

**End of Chapter 5**

**This chapter was a bit short, but the next chapter is longer I promise! Please review! **


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: I do NOT own Gundam Seed or Gundam Seed Destiny. Please review!**

_Yzak's voice was reverberating in Dearka's cockpit, Athrun was on a small island beneath them fighting the Strike, but after one last hit, his machine's power ran out and the phase shift armor no longer functioned. "He is in trouble Dearka!" Yzak was yelling. Then they saw sparks, and suddenly Nicol's machine was running full speed at the Strike trying to save Athrun. Before either Yzak or Dearka could move, the Strike's sword embedded itself into Nicol's machine, right in line with the cockpit. Moments later, Nicol's broken voice could be heard, "Athrun, run!" Before the Blitz exploded. "Nicol!" Athrun screamed in horror and disbelief. _

_Back on their submarine, Yzak was cursing loudly and punching the lockers in front of him. "Why did he have to die like that? Why out here?" Athrun grabbed Yzak by the collar of his shirt and smashed him into the locker. "Why don't you just say it Yzak? Nicol died because he was trying to save me!" Athrun yelled desperately. Dearka had placed a cold hand on Athrun's to stop the fight and glanced at Yzak's face. His eyes had angry tears in them as he jerked his collar out of Athrun's grip, "Next time I'll destroy the Strike!" Yzak yelled and left the room. Dearka followed him as Yzak fled down the hallway and into the room they shared. The lights were off when Dearka entered but as his eyes quickly adjusted he could see Yzak's form sitting on the edge of the bed with his head in his hands. Turning on the switch in the bathroom flooded the room with soft fractured light. _

_Dearka walked over to Yzak and stood for a moment next to him before kneeling down. "Yzak?" He murmured. "Why did he have to die?" Yzak managed to say and when he raised his head tears were pouring down his face. Dearka shook his head and put a hand on Yzak's shoulder. Both of them had lost too many friends in this war, but Nicol's death seemed worse than the rest. Yzak's shoulders shook from crying and Dearka kept kneeling there awkwardly waiting for it to stop. When it didn't, Dearka sat on the bed next to him and wrapped an arm around Yzak's shoulders. After a few moments Yzak stopped crying and shoved Dearka onto the floor. "Don't get all mushy on me now Dearka." He said and disappeared into the bathroom. _

The dream had Dearka thrashing around in his sleep and soon Dearka found himself falling to the hardwood floor next to his bed with a thud. "Argh!" He grunted, breathing heavily. It took a second to realize where he was, and that his face was wet-he had been crying in his sleep. He hadn't dreamt about Nicol dying in a while. He still remembered the pained look on Yzak's face as he cried, as if the image was etched into his brain. It made a sick feeling settle in the pit of his stomach. _What if something happened to Yzak while he was up in the PLANTS and Dearka was stuck down on Earth? Would he even be told about it?_ Shaking those thoughts and the dream from his head he quickly wiped his face and got up off the floor, wincing because apparently his still healing ribs weren't entirely happy with him. He went over to a box that he had packed away most of his things in the night before, and took some more painkillers before taking a hot shower, getting dressed, packed the box into the front seat of his car and headed over to Cagalli's estate.

Upon his arrival, he hoisted the box and went up to the front door of the estate. Almost immediately, a rather large man in a suit who offered to carry the box for him let him in. Dearka declined his offer however, and that was when a rather plump middle-aged woman, who must be Myrna walked up to him. She smiled gently and told him to follow her to his room. His room ended up being down the east wing on the third floor and he took note of the surrounding rooms and vast hallways lined with marble floors that were polished to perfection. As she pushed his door open and stood aside he walked passed her and nearly dropped the box he was carrying.

The ceilings were twenty feet high; windows were floor to ceiling and were adorned with dark red elegant looking drapes. There was a king size bed, a hand carved oak dresser, and a matching armoire, the floors in the room were also a polished marble but a rather large tastefully patterned area rug was covering most of it. Walking further into the room he set his box on the bed and looked over seeing a large looking bathroom with a full shower and separate Jacuzzi tub. His eyes must have looked as round and big as saucers when Myrna approached him and she chuckled at his expression. "Quite stunning isn't it? Since I have served the Athha family for many years, you think that I would get used to such luxury over time, but it still often takes my breath away."

Dearka nodded. "This is definitely nicer than any place I have ever stayed in that is for sure."

"Haha. I believe most people would be able to say that very same thing." Myrna said with a grin. "After you have unpacked Cagalli would like you to meet her in her first floor study." Myrna said. "The Princess also told me that if you need anything to make your stay here more comfortable to let me know and I can accommodate you." Myrna continued, and after Dearka nodded his thanks, she left the room.

Dearka wasted no time at all and quickly unpacked his meager belongings and even tested the softness of the feather top bed and pillows before heading downstairs. He knocked lightly on the study's door and waited for Cagalli to tell him to come in. When he opened the door and walked over to her she was shifting through papers and did not look up when she said, "Unato is overreacting and is insisting that you take a test at the firing range before you start working today." Cagalli said finally meeting his gaze and then rolling her eyes. "He just won't let it go. Although, I know that you will shut him up for me if you take it." She said with a smile.

Dearka chuckled lightly and gave her a smug grin. "Yeah, I can do that." Cagalli nodded and motioned for him to follow her. Within a few moments they were in the basement of the estate and there were a variety of Cabinet members present, including Unato, and a young man a of couple years older than Cagalli with purple hair. Dearka stepped up to the counter and grabbed the gun that had been loaded and set out for him. He took a quick look around him not only at the targets but also those who had shown up to watch his test. They looked highly skeptical. Grinning he turned back to the targets and started firing off shots, each one piercing the center of each target. Soon moving targets appeared from the walls and ceiling and he continued firing shots into the center of each one in rapid succession until his gun was emptied. There was complete silence and he set the gun down and turned to face the room of people behind him. Cagalli appeared pleased and smug, the rest of the Cabinet members were stunned.

"Well, now that Dearka has proven his skills to all of you who were doubting him as well as doubting my decision to make him part of my security detail, can we get started on what needs to be accomplished today?" Cagalli said confidently as Dearka followed her out of the basement without a word.

As all of them entered the boardroom, Dearka stood along the wall by Cagalli's seat at the head of the table. "Representative, are you sure that you want a coordinator protecting you?" The purple haired young man said, immediately walking up to her seat and leaning over her. The rest of the cabinet members were shocked at this bold question; apparently not realizing Dearka was a coordinator.

"As I mentioned previously, I know Dearka personally. His efforts, along with the crew of the Archangel, helped to save Orb from even more significant damage during the war. It does not matter to me in the slightest that he is a coordinator. He wants to help and I gave him a job. He deserves your respect. I expect you to show it to him Yuna." Cagalli said sternly.

Dearka smiled slightly as Yuna stepped back abruptly and gave Cagalli a bow. "Of course, my apologies Princess." Yuna said and took his seat, but not before shooting Dearka a cold and hateful look. _Well, he definitely won't be joining my fan club. _Dearka thought sarcastically and managed to stop himself from rolling his eyes as the meeting officially started. He found himself deep in thought about his mission and he lost track of the meeting for several minutes.

"So you were not able to get any information from the members of Blue Cosmos we have in custody?" Cagalli asked.

"Well, one of the members insinuated that there are many more of them throughout Orb, but we are unsure of their intentions at this time. Should we keep interrogating them Representative?" Unato asked.

"Yes, I think that is for the best. However, I would like to request increasing the police patrols around the city and have them be on the lookout for anything suspicious."

"Should we try to enact a curfew throughout Orb?" One Cabinet member asked gently.

"I think that would be too difficult to enforce, not only that, but it could cause anger and panic amongst citizens. Please just increase patrols and keep me updated on everything you need to find out." Cagalli said almost immediately.

Dearka agreed with her wise decision. Given the current situation, the increased patrols would already make some citizens suspicious. However, those patrols may also deter Blue Cosmos from trying anything. As Dearka wondered about what Blue Cosmos was planning on doing in Orb, the meeting continued without him paying much attention. He found himself distracted, not only by everything with Blue Cosmos but also with his dinner the night before with Miriallia.

Soon Cagalli called the meeting to an end and Dearka followed her out of the room. Once they had returned to her study she turned to face him. "I would like to take a trip to visit one of the local hospitals. Unato had mentioned some of the Cabinet member's families were there and I feel that showing my support and concern is the least I could do at this time for them."

Dearka looked at her with a serious expression on his face. "Are you sure that is a good idea? We aren't sure what Blue Cosmos is planning or how many of them there are in the city." He asked her.

Cagalli's face was quite determined, but the firmness in her eyes wavered momentarily. "I know there are risks going outside the estate, but I cannot just sit here while everything is going on. I need to be a leader who isn't afraid of these terrorists." Cagalli reasoned.

"I understand your sentiments, but as a leader of a nation you shouldn't put yourself in unnecessary danger." Dearka argued logically.

"Well, it's not like I will be going alone. You'll be with me right?" Cagalli said with a smirk and her hand on her hip.

"Yes, I'll be with you." Dearka said in a defeated voice. What Athrun had told him previously was right-Cagalli was extremely stubborn.

"So if you are going to be my body guard, you'll definitely need a weapon." Cagalli said walking over to a small safe in her desk and handed him a gun. Dearka took it and put it in his back waistband under his shirt.

Cagalli motioned for him to follow her and they took a car into the city to the hospital that she had indicated. To avoid lots of stares, they entered through the back of the building and went up the elevator. The halls were bustling with doctors and nurses moving patients and going from room to room. Dearka wrinkled his nose at the smell of blood and disinfectant as they made their way to the first room a nurse had indicated to them. Cagalli knocked gently on the door with her knuckle and they both entered the room a moment later.

A young woman with bandages covering half of her face was lying on the bed; an older gentleman was sitting next to her and looked up in surprise. "Representative?" He managed to choke out.

"Togami I'm here. I heard Shina had been hurt and thought it would be nice to visit." Cagalli said in greeting pressing a hand to his shoulder when he tried to bow and then give her his seat.

"Thank you Representative. It means a lot to us that you are here." Togami said as he patted his daughter's hand. The girl's eye opened and she managed to smile up at Cagalli despite all of her injuries and bandages.

Cagalli talked quietly with both of them for a few more minutes before going to the next room. Dearka followed her wordlessly taking in their surroundings with careful observation. Everyone seemed to be too busy to notice the head of the nation was here walking the halls and visiting patients. After visiting two more private rooms of patients Dearka and Cagalli headed towards the back exit of the building when they heard someone walking behind them. Dearka immediately turned and used his arm to push Cagalli behind him. They were face to face with a rather disheveled man who had large dark circles under his eyes from either lack of sleep or poor health. His clothes hung off his skeletal body and were torn and wrinkled in some places as if he hadn't bothered to change them in some time. "Well, would you look at that? It's the Princess. Come to see what you allowed to happen? Did you enjoy seeing the suffering of your people caused by the decisions you made?" The man asked darkly.

Cagalli had tightened her grip on the back of Dearka's arm and he could tell that she did not know what to say to him. Surely nothing could be said to sway this man's opinions of her and what her and her father had decided to do during the war. Dearka had slowly started backing them up towards the exit without breaking eye contact with the man. "It is your fault that my family has suffered! My daughter and her unborn child are dead because of you!" The man screamed.

"That's enough!" Dearka yelled at the man as he heard Cagalli choke back a sob. Then Dearka guided Cagalli quickly out of the door and into the car that was waiting to take them back to the estate. Dearka looked over at her once he sat down and she was staring blankly ahead, tears threatening to fall. It was obvious that the man deeply upset Cagalli. The decisions her and her father made during the war were to try and benefit all of Orb. Sure, there was a loss of life, and unfortunately that was inevitable, but Cagalli should not have to hear people blame her for the deaths of their loved ones as a result of the fighting that happened in Orb. As they headed back to the estate Cagalli cried silently and pulled a handkerchief out of her pocket to wipe her eyes and nose. Dearka sat there unable to figure out a single thing to say to comfort her. He himself had made tough decisions during the war, but the amount of pressure Cagalli was under trying to run a country when she was so young was much different.

When they arrived at the house, Dearka opened up her car door and followed her inside. Myrna was waiting just inside the entrance to welcome them back and when she saw the devastated look on Cagalli's face she immediately put her hands to her mouth in concern. Dearka just shook his head sadly as Cagalli walked into her study. Cagalli collapsed into her chair and rested her head against the edge of the desk. Dearka stood there unsure of what to do. How could he make her feel better? What could he even say that would make her see that not every person's death was her fault? People die in war, which is one of the many unfortunate consequences. "That man was just lashing out and trying to find someone to blame for what happened. War affects nearly everyone in one way or another, some more than others. You and your father always had Orb's best interests in mind. You both did what you could to protect the ideals that Orb was built upon and ensured that Orb is not involved in senseless conflicts. However, you both are just two individuals. You cannot put too much pressure on yourself to prevent tragedy from sometimes happening." Dearka said walking over and kneeling down next to her to talk to her at eye level. Cagalli continued to cry softly with her hands in her lap clutching her now damp handkerchief. Dearka hesitantly reached out and put a comforting hand on her shoulder and squeezed it gently. Cagalli cried for a while longer before sniffling and looking up at him.

"Thanks Dearka. It's one thing to protect someone from physical threats, but not much can be done about what someone says to me in anger or grief. I have a feeling there will be more people who are just as angry and grief stricken as that man." She said sounding congested.

"There will always be people that aren't happy with something that you or other Cabinet members have decided. All you can do is try to do what is right for Orb." Dearka said softly standing up.

She managed a small smile and said, "I just have some paperwork to finish tonight. You can have the rest of the night off."

Dearka looked at her with concern but merely nodded and quietly left the room, shutting the door behind him. He headed to his room in the east wing, made a quick report, and took a scalding hot shower (in a shower stall with 3 shower heads no less!) before collapsing into bed in his boxers.

**End of Chapter 6**

**Please review! I know you all want to hit that review button! Haha. **


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: I do NOT own Gundam Seed or Gundam Seed Destiny. Please review!**

Nearly a week had passed since the man had confronted Cagalli and Dearka at the hospital. Since that time, Cagalli had been conducting meetings at all hours of the day and night, reading reports of construction projects and actually seeing some results of the increased patrols. Two more Blue Cosmos members had been arrested while scouting locations to plant more explosive devices around the city. The Cabinet seemed relatively pleased with the results, but Cagalli was skeptical of the progress really being made. She had admitted to Dearka that she felt there was something bigger in the works that they had not realized yet.

"We need to get as more information out of them as soon as possible! Why aren't our officers getting anywhere with their interrogations?" Cagalli demanded slamming her hands down on the table and startling the secretary typing the meeting minutes in the corner of the room. The whole table of Cabinet members looked up at her, stunned by her unexpected outburst.

"Er…It isn't that easy Lady Cagalli. We have been….been trying to get them to talk but…but they either won't share their plans, or those we have captured do not know of the main plan that Blue Cosmos has for Orb." Stuttered one Cabinet member with dark red hair opposite from Cagalli.

"That isn't what I want to hear. I want you to tell the officers that I would like to speak with these members myself." Cagalli declared hotly. The room had truly fallen silent then. No one knew what to say to convince her that going would not be the best of ideas.

"If you think that is for the best, then yes Lady Cagalli, that can be arranged." The same redheaded Cabinet member said.

Soon after, the meeting ended and Dearka followed Cagalli out of the room. They went to her study and she glanced up at him. His face must have shown some concern and doubt and she huffed indignantly. "I'm sure there is something I can say to them to make them talk." She explained.

"Blue Cosmos isn't known for being forthcoming. They are manipulative and narrow-minded. What happens if they won't talk to you?" Dearka said in a matter-of-fact way.

"Then…I will suggest to the officers that their harsh interrogation techniques are not harsh enough." Cagalli said with slight hesitation. They both stood in silence for a while and Cagalli rubbed her eyes with closed fists. Dearka could see that all of Cagalli's duties were really wearing on her the past week. The bomb threats being made by Blue Cosmos and the Cabinet members questioning her ability to handle the situation was not helping. Dearka also thought that what the man at the hospital said to her the week before was still weighing on her mind.

"So…when are Kira and Lacus coming back? Maybe hanging out with them will cheer you up a bit." Dearka said hopefully with both his mission and distracting Cagalli from her troubles in mind.

Cagalli looked up at him and then looked down at her schedule that was lying on her desk in front of her. "It looks like they are due to arrive the day after tomorrow. I arranged for their shuttle to land right here in Orb and a car to take them here." Cagalli said, a smile creeping its way onto her face.

"What about Athrun? I was under the impression that he was coming down to Orb immediately after the war." Dearka asked.

Cagalli's expression fell drastically, even her shoulders hunched. "He…he said that he had to make some arrangements for his father's memorial service." Dearka wasn't expecting that at leaned against her desk. "That was a few days ago though. I'm not sure what he is up to at the moment." Cagalli continued.

"Well…I'm sure that he will come back soon." Dearka said trying to have an optimistic tilt to his voice.

"Yeah…you're probably right. I'm worrying over nothing." Cagalli said leaning back in her chair.

Suddenly there was a sharp knock at the door and Cagalli's driver entered. "Lady Cagalli, I have just received word that Colonel Kisaka approved your visit to the jail to interrogate one of the prisoners. We can leave whenever you are ready." He said formally.

"Very well. Thank you. We will leave now." Cagalli said and both her and Dearka left the estate.

They pulled through the electrified gate that slid open at their approach and parked in a secured area with guards posted. Dearka was looking closely at Cagalli's posture and expression before they exited the car. She looked both apprehensive and exhausted. After signing in at the front desk, and Dearka checked his weapon, they headed down to an interrogation room where one of the members of Blue Cosmos was waiting.

As the door opened and they both stepped inside, the man who was dressed in bright prison garb smirked and chuckled lightly to himself. "So the famous Cagalli Yula Athha has decided to grace me with her presence. I should feel honored…but instead I'm just disgusted." He said cruelly. Cagalli's fists clenched at her side as she sat across from him. He shifted and the chains that were placed around his wrists and ankles clinked. Dearka moved up right next to her and glared down at the man. His eyes glinted because of the recessed lighting above his head. The coldness of his stare made Cagalli hold her breath for a moment before letting it out slowly.

"So what do I call you?" Cagalli asked trying to sound firm.

"Hm. How about Jake?" He said with a laugh.

"Okay Jake. So I'm sure that you know why I'm here."

"Yeah sure, you think that being here is going to make me spill my guts about Blue Cosmos' plans. Well, you are wasting your time."

Ignoring him Cagalli said, "I understand that Blue Cosmos has a lot of hatred for coordinators. Here in Orb we do not discriminate against coordinators. What I don't understand is why you and other Blue Cosmos members are planting bombs where even naturals can get hurt."

"I guess I don't see the harm in answering that one. It's because Blue Cosmos is prepared to send a real message-that those who support and condone coordinators living here on Earth deserve to be punished. At first we were all about eradicating coordinators from the planet and now we have decided that even those who help them or accept them should pay the price for the preservation of our blue and pure world."

"So putting explosive devices at places where maximum damage can occur is your plan. What about the innocent people that can potentially die because of the attacks?" Cagalli said her knuckles turning white from clenching her hands into fists.

"Well, innocence is subjective. We prefer to think of the larger picture."

"You bastard!" Cagalli yelled standing up so abruptly that her chair overturned. "How the hell do you sleep at night? How can you sit there and say such things? Blue Cosmos has quite obviously brainwashed you." She continued angrily starting to move around the wide metallic table towards him.

Dearka reached out and put a hand on her shoulder. "Don't give him the satisfaction Cagalli. It won't do anything."

"I'm going to see to it that you and your friends spend the rest of your lives locked up, isolated, unable to hurt people." Cagalli bit out before turning and leaving the room.

Dearka didn't follow her out. He was staring down at the man, anger boiling within him. "What makes you hate coordinators so much?" He managed to ask in a cold, dead voice.

"They are an abomination. Genes should never be altered against God's image." Jake replied meeting Dearka's glare.

"If you walked by a coordinator on the street it's not like you would be able to tell if they are a coordinator or a natural. Not every coordinator is a monster, just like every natural is not a monster. We are all human beings, capable of a great many things, both good and bad." Dearka said.

Jake was quiet for a moment as if he was truly taking in everything Dearka had said. "Coordinators are supposedly capable of so much more than regular naturals, but that doesn't mean naturals are inferior. We naturals just have to adapt and become stronger and not let politicians and police dictate to us how to live and what not to hate." Jake said.

"So you think that blowing up buildings and killing innocent children is going to eradicate coordinators or automatically change the belief systems of others who have no ill will towards coordinators?"

"Like I said, it sends a message. It takes us one more step towards our ultimate goal, and eventually the universe will know of our plans."

Dearka gritted his teeth and reached out and gripped the back of Jake's head and slammed it down into the table. "Somehow I don't think that many people would agree with your radical and closed-minded beliefs here in Orb. Now I want you to tell me how many of you are in Orb and where you plan on putting bombs." Dearka said into Jake's ear.

Jake laughed and said, "Do you honestly think that roughing me up a bit is going to make a difference?"

Dearka smiled coldly. "Well, you see, one thing you have to know about coordinators like me is that we are really good about getting information from people. It also helps when I know there won't be any repercussions for what I'm about to do." This made Jake start to struggle against Dearka's vice like grip. "See, when I was a soldier we learned quite a few persuasive ways to get someone to talk, however, they obviously weren't very fun ways for the prisoner, but we soldiers had to do what we had to do." Dearka said. At this point "Jake" was getting pretty panicked and Dearka tightened his hold as he struggled. Dearka kept one hand on Jake's neck that forced his head into the table and he grabbed his wrist, jerking his arm back behind him as far as the chains would allow, causing Jake to cry out in pain. Dearka kept pulling his arm back and then started to speak. "Now Jake, I will give you one last chance to tell me everything I want to know or your arm will be forced out of its socket in a very excruciating way. Somehow I doubt the guards here will seek medical attention for a terrorist they have in custody." Dearka threatened in Jake's ear. Jake made an animal like sound and stopped struggling.

"Okay fine! I will tell you what I know. Just let go of my arm! It hurts!" Jake yelled painfully. Dearka smiled and let him go but lingered above Jake to remind him that more pain would be coming his way if he didn't talk. "Okay, so the big wigs in charge of Blue Cosmos are filthy rich obviously. They only tell certain details of their plans to specific people so that no one knows everything. This prevents their plans from falling through completely. All I know is that there are at least ten Blue Cosmos members in the city besides the five in custody. We were told to scout locations of importance to the city and to plant explosive devices at those locations." Jake said angrily and with much reluctance despite the threat of pain dealt from Dearka.

"Alright can you tell me anything else? Like what locations or how Blue Cosmos members were in touch with their superiors?" Dearka said putting a hand on Jake's shoulder once more, which made him shiver in fear.

"We focused on the harbor and the hospital building in the center of the city. We figured that we could make the most damage that way. We had certain places where we picked up our orders but now that we have been captured and haven't checked in, the old places have been compromised and they will have picked different places by now to leave information. That's all I know I swear. Now get your filthy coordinator hands off me dammit." Jake spat.

Dearka gritted his teeth and turned towards the door to leave, and that is when he saw Cagalli standing in the doorway. His face flushed, as if he was slightly ashamed at what he had done to "Jake" but she just smiled at him. They walked quietly down the hallway and signed out and were escorted back to their car. Immediately after they had driven out of the electrified gate surrounding the prison Cagalli got on the phone with someone and started speaking rapidly.

"Okay listen, we need to keep up with the increased patrols. There are still at least ten members of Blue Cosmos out there and they are targeting major buildings of importance around Orb. I want all police and our military forces on high alert and I want some people to be looking at security cameras all over the city, especially in highly populated areas, to see if there is anything suspicious. We have to catch these guys before they kill innocent people." Her voice cracked halfway through the last sentence and she cleared her throat. "I expect to be kept updated on all progress."

When they arrived back at the estate, Cagalli turned to Dearka who refused to look her directly in the eye. "I'm glad that you were able to get information out of him. He had been roughed up before and never said anything of importance to us. Whatever you said to him must have been pretty convincing, so thanks for your help Dearka." Cagalli said softly. Dearka nodded and took in her tired features. She had been rubbing her eyes and could tell that she had put concealer on to mask the dark circles around her eyes. Her hands were also shaking a bit and her skin was paler than usual.

"I was happy to help, and if I am to be perfectly honest, you look exhausted Cagalli, you need to get some rest. I am sure whatever they find out can wait till morning alright?" Dearka said as they entered the house.

"Yeah, it's just been really hard for me to fall asleep lately. I guess all the stress with Blue Cosmos and not wanting to let Orb down again is getting to me." Cagalli said in a whisper.

"Don't you worry Cagalli. You won't let Orb down. This will get resolved, I'm sure of it."

"Thanks Dearka. Oh, and I have some special plans for Kira and Lacus' arrival. I'll tell you more about it tomorrow. Goodnight." Dearka gave her a slight bow, which made her chuckle and then he headed to his room.

**End of Chapter 7**

**So they finally get some answers of what intentions the Blue Cosmos members have in Orb…thanks to Dearka and his "persuasive" techniques. Ha! More twists, turns, and excitement (and perhaps even a bit of romance?) to come! Yay! Please review! **


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